Dragon's Embrace
by Pinker Belle
Summary: What should I call you?" He whispered. "I would rather not disclose that information," Hermione said coyly. "What about you?" "You can call me by my name, Draco Malfoy." D/Hr. Sexual content, Adult language.
1. Unexpected Intimacies

**Dragon's Embrace**

**Chapter One**

"Hermione, you have to come with me! You can't let me go alone!" Susan Bones pleaded. Hermione Granger sighed. She had been friends with Susan for long enough to realize that this wasn't something she could get out of. Anyway, it wasn't like she didn't want to go. She had actually been thinking about going ever since the invite arrived at Headquarters. The annual Malfoy masquerade party was always the event of the season, though the invite had only been extended to non-purebloods since the death of Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy. Their death eater values had always sworn them against anyone who didn't have the purest blood, which also meant inter-family breeding. Just the thought made Hermione cringe in disgust. However, rumor had it that Draco Malfoy had hung his prejudice out to dry and he no longer judged a person by their blood status. But that was just what she heard. Because he had changed sides in the war didn't mean that he didn't still have his old views on how society should be run. Any normal person would want society to be rid of deranged killers who would murder anyone who was against him, so it was fitting that he changed sides. Going to his party would help to bridge the gap between purebloods and others of muggle descent.

"Hermione!"

"Alright! I'll go!" Hermione cried in exasperation. Susan grinned and hugged her friend.

"Great! I'll pick you up at eight!" Hermione rolled her big brown eyes and waved as Susan left. What was she going to tell Harry and Ron? Just two days before she had heard them laughing at the concept of being caught at Malfoy's party. What were they going to say to her when she told them she was going? It would be an interesting night.

* * *

"No!" Ron declared vehemently. "You can't go to Malfoy's _house_! It's one thing for him to help us in the war. But to go to his _house_? It's unheard of!" It was six-thirty and the boys stood outside of Hermione's room in the flat they shared.

"It's not like I'm going to have a cup of tea with him, Ronald!" Hermione responded hotly. "It's a party. And you and Harry don't have the right to tell me whether or not I can go. I am twenty-one years old and I may do as I please. So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get ready." And she promptly closed the door in their faces. As she crossed the room Hermione ruffled up her bushy brown hair and sighed. "Men!" She huffed. Hermione opened up the closet door and reached all the way into the back. When her hands came in contact with the vinyl of the dress bag she smiled and pulled the bag out. As she unzipped the vinyl bag, her fingers trembled a little. She had not looked inside at the dress since she pulled it from her mother's closet the week after she died. Her eyes teared up as she ran her fingers across the white lace and silk of her mother's wedding dress. She pulled it out and held it up to her body in front of the mirror. It was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. Hermione quickly put the dress back into the bag to continue getting ready.

She emerged from the shower a half hour later, smelling of vanilla and roses and her long hair dripping down her back. Hermione put on the dress and looked in the mirror. Her mother was a few inches taller than Hermione's 5'3 stance and was a little pudgier on her wedding day. After taking her wand out of the drawer in her nightstand she pointed her wand at herself and muttered the incantation to make the dress tighter around the waist and shorter so that she wouldn't fall. Hermione dusted her bare neck and shoulders with scented shimmer powder. Another glance in the mirror told her that the dress hugged her curves perfectly. The bodice clung tightly to her bosom and waist, pushing up her breasts and making her appear more busty than she was. The tulle fanned out from the waist and it had a layer of lace embroidered with silk flowers laying on top. Hermione opened her top drawer and pulled out a black velvet box. She took out the simple white gold necklace with a small diamond set in it. She then reached up and pulled the white Mardi Gras mask that she got in America off of her mirror where it rested and tied it around her face. For her finishing touches, she curled her thick brown hair so that it lay in ringlets down her back with small white rose pins scattered throughout.

"Hermione! Susan is here!" Harry's voice called from the living room. Quickly, Hermione pulled on her white pumps, grabbed her purse and hurried out to meet her friend.

* * *

"Susan! We don't know anyone here!" Hermione whined. The two women had been at the party for all of ten minutes and already Hermione was complaining.

"I do. Hey, Terry!" Susan called, and she got up from the sofa and strolled across the room toward her old friend.

"Great. Now I'm alone." Hermione muttered to herself as she leaned her chin onto her hand. After a moment or two, she felt the couch sink under the weight of a human body. She looked up to find a young man seated next to her. He looked like he was trying to be discreet by hiding behind his simple black mask and black fedora.

"A pretty girl like you shouldn't be all alone." His voice was low and gravelly and it sent tingles down Hermione's spine. "Care to dance?" Hermione smiled at the stranger and nodded. She had no idea who this man was, but he was polite, and from what she could see of his face, he was very handsome. As the two danced, Hermione could feel his muscles beneath his thin black shirt. Her hand felt tiny in his and his hand on her hip was sending unexplained tingles throughout her body. Suddenly, he leaned down so that his face was next to hers. She could feel his warm breath on her face as he whispered in her ear.

"What is your name?"

"I'd rather not disclose that information." She whispered back with a smile.

"Is that so?" He said, not unkindly. Hermione only nodded in response. The song changed from the slow, melodic tune to a more upbeat rhythm. "Let's go somewhere so we can talk." The stranger suggested and Hermione nodded once again. He took her hand and led her out of the hustle and bustle of the ballroom. They walked down the corridor and passed a few idle wizards and witches, but it was clear that the ballroom was where the real party was. He pushed open a set of large oak doors and she followed him into what appeared to be the library. "I've decided that I'm going to call you Belle, because you are clearly the belle of this ball." Hermione blushed and muttered her thanks. It was obvious that he wanted to kiss her.

"And what shall I call you?" Hermione asked coyly as he moved in closer. She wanted to kick herself for how hard she was flirting with this man she didn't even know.

"You can call me by my name," He told her as he removed his hat and mask. "Draco Malfoy." (perfect place to stop!! but i'm feeling generous) Hermione's eyes widened in shock as he moved closer. _What am I doing? Why aren't I pushing him away in repulsion? Stop him!_But Hermione's body would not cooperate with her mind. She was feeling things that she hadn't felt since before she broke up with Ron two years previous. Before she knew what was happening, Malfoy's lips were on hers and she didn't want him to stop. But after a glorious moment when the world seemed to stop turning, he pulled away.

"Please tell me who you are?" Draco whispered, as he reached up for her mask. Hermione shook her head and held her mask in place. She just wished he would kiss her again. "Why not?"

"I just can't. I'm sorry." She responded. He did not reply, but he lowered his lips onto hers again and again and again. His lips moved from her mouth to her cheek, to her ear and down her jawbone. His large rough hands caressed her sides, moving up towards her breasts and back towards the zipper. Hermione couldn't believe she was letting this happen. Ron didn't even get this far until three months into their relationship, and this man, the man who was her sworn enemy for the better part of the past ten years had reached this point within three hours of getting to know her. However, she didn't want him to stop. Draco's hands did things to her that Ron's could never dream of. She didn't want him to stop. He pulled down the zipper of her dress and the bodice pooled around her waist in a puddle of silk and lace. He ran his hands over her lace covered breasts, not daring to unhook the clasp. Draco's lips found hers again in frenzied passion, his hands running all over her body, feeling every inch of smooth skin. Their tryst was getting more and more heated, in their haste, neither noticed the white gold pendant fall to the floor. It was when Draco's hand slipped into her underwear that Hermione knew that they had to stop before they did something in the heat of the moment that they would regret.

"Stop." Hermione panted, as she fixed her dress and zipped it up. She straightened out her mask and smoothed out her dress. "I can't do this. I don't want to do this in a moment driven by too much wine. Maybe we'll meet up again when the time is right. I'm sorry." Her face was apologetic as she gave him one last kiss and ran from the room, leaving Draco shirtless and bewildered. He hung his head in disappointment although he knew she was right. Just then, something on the floor caught his eye. It looked like a piece of jewelry. He bent over and picked it up to examine it. It was hers! The mystery woman! This news excited him to no end. He pulled his wand from his pocket and said the incantation to identify the owner of the the necklace.

"_Fortuna_," He said in an excited whisper. His heart pounded as he waited for the wisps of smoke to spell out the name. His eyes widened in shock at the unexpected name.

It read, _Hermione Granger._


	2. A Secret Fancy

**Chapter Two**

Draco could not take his eyes off of the name written in smoke. Even long after it had faded, the image remained imprinted in his retinas. The identity of his mystery woman had come as a shock to him. Hermione Granger, the brains of the Golden Trio, had let Draco Malfoy, her long time nemesis go as far as to remove half of her dress without so much as slap in the face. What was going on here? He had revealed his identity and she still continued on with him. The thought made his heart leap. _No, I won't do this to myself again!_Draco told himself. After his sixth year at Hogwarts, he had become an advocate of the Order of The Phoenix. He brought them information from the Voldemort's inner circle and helped them fight off Death Eaters. No one suspected him until it was too late. However, because Draco was helping them out, it did not mean that he was in the Golden Trio's good graces. The trust that they held for him did not go as far as friendship. But throughout the years of helping them, he admired one of them from afar. Draco's secret fancy of Hermione Granger was never discovered, and after the war he did his best to push the emotions to the back of his mind and pretend as though they never existed. But now, after tonight, the flame was being rekindled and there was nothing that he could do to stop it, and it hurt to know that he could never have what he had always wanted. But tonight, this thing, this tryst that the two of them had shared...it was unexplainable. Even after she knew his identity she did not stop him. What did this mean? She had to have felt something. Didn't she?

* * *

The next morning, Hermione went about her usual morning routine. Turn on coffee maker, brush teeth, shower, get dressed. She emerged from the shower that morning and poured herself a cup of steaming hot coffee. She stuck a hot pocket into the toaster oven and was about to sit at the table when there was a knock on the apartment door. Hermione glanced at the clock. It read 9:47 am. _Who could it be at this hour?_Hermione wondered. She opened the door and her jaw almost hit the floor. Standing in front of her was none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy, what are you doing here?" She struggled to sound more blase than she felt and it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to concentrate on that with him looking the way he did. Draco Malfoy was one handsome fellow, she would give him that. Standing there with his black button down shirt rolled up to the elbows, revealing his muscular forearms, his black slacks neatly pressed and creased in all of the right places. _He didn't know. He couldn't know!_ Was what was running through Hermione's mind.

"You left this at the party last night." Draco said, holding up her necklace. _He knew! _Hermione's eyes widened as she recognized her jewelry. She decided to play dumb.

"I-I'm not sure I know what you're talking about." She responded, trying to look nonchalant, but just ended up looking like she needed to use the loo.

"Don't play dumb, Granger. It doesn't suit you." He said coolly, leaning on the door frame and looking past her into the apartment. "Mind if I come in?" Hermione nodded and blushed at the fact that she didn't think of it herself earlier.

"Would you like a cup of coffee or something?" She asked awkwardly, jealous of the way that Malfoy could keep his cool in such an awkward situation. What she didn't know was that Malfoy felt the same way, he was just better at hiding it.

"Sure," he replied. Hermione went into the kitchen and returned with a mug of steaming hot coffee.

"I don't know how you like it, so there's milk and sugar on the table." Draco nodded his thanks and placed the mug on the table to prepare it to his liking. Suddenly, the microwave oven rang, signaling that Hermione's breakfast was finished. At the sound, Draco jumped in his seat.

"What the hell was that?" He cried,all efforts of staying cool gone by this point. Hermione stifled a giggle.

"Its the microwave oven,"

"The micro-what?"

"It cooks food," Hermione explained and as she went to the kitchen to retrieve her hot pocket, she heard him mumble something that sounded suspiciously like 'muggles'. When she came back, Draco was calmly sipping his coffee. "I would offer, but this was the last one. Would you like half?"

"No, thanks," Draco declined. "Enjoy your breakfast." The two sat in silence for a few moments. It was the sort of silence that wasn't awkward or comfortable. It was the silence of two strangers. "So about last night," Draco began.

"Do you have any regrets?" Hermione inquired, timidly.

"None, do you?" Draco never ceased in his collected attitude, but Hermione could see the anxiousness in his eyes, revealing that he wasn't as nonchalant as he'd like to appear.

"No," She replied.

"Good. Now that that's settled."

"So where does that leave us?" Hermione asked awkwardly.

"I'm not sure. I would like to get to know you better, if you don't mind that is." Draco's discomfort was slightly more evident now that they were treading on new ground.

"That would be nice." Hermione responded with a smile. "Maybe we could-" However, she never finished the statement because at that moment Ron, decided it was time for breakfast.

"Hermione, who are you-" Ron started, then he noticed Malfoy sitting across the table. "What the hell is _he_ doing here?" Draco shifted in his seat as he felt the tension in the room.

"Maybe I should leave," He started to stand up but Hermione stopped him.

"No, stay right where you are. You're perfectly welcome here."

"No, he isn't!" Ron shouted, his face turning an interesting shade of puce.

"Ronald, he is my company, thank you very much! And if you would like to have children anytime in the future, I suggest you bugger off or at least be nice to Draco!"

"Oh so he's _Draco _now? When did this start?"

"Last night at his party, if you must know." Hermione was getting very agitated with him.

"Oh I get it! You're fucking him!" _SLAP! _The impact of Hermione's hand with his face resonated throughout the room.

"How _dare_you, Ronald! What business is it of yours what I do with my personal life? If I want to fuck Draco Malfoy, I will, with or without your permission!" She snarled as she grabbed her purse and keys from the hook next to the door. "Let's go Draco," She commanded as she stormed out of her flat. Hermione stomped out to her car with Draco scurrying nervously behind her. The whole situation reminded him of when she punched him back in third year. He had forgotten how much of a temper she had.

"The _nerve _of him!" Hermione continued her rant as she started the car. "What the hell is wrong with him?"

"He's jealous," He stated simply. Hermione turned to look at him as though she had forgotten he was there.

"Jealous?" She repeated lamely.

"Yes,"

"Why would he be jealous? What we had ended a long time ago."

"For the smartest witch of your time, you're pretty naive." Draco said with a chuckle. "It's so obvious that he's still in love with you."

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	3. Breakfast With Malfoy

**Chapter Three**

Hermione gaped at Malfoy for almost a full thirty seconds, her brain struggled to process the new information it had been fed.

"Excuse me?" She managed to blurt. She needed clarification of what he had just told her. "Ron is not still in love with me! We've talked about it. We've agreed that we don't go well together romantically. It just doesn't work."

"Just because he can't have you doesn't mean he doesn't want you," Draco informed her matter of factly. Hermione's features gained her blank expression once again. It was apparent that she was thinking very hard about the situation at hand. Ron couldn't still love her. It had been so long ago. Both of them had moved on, seen other people. There was no way that he still harbored romantic feelings for her, it just wasn't possible.

"Well, it's your choice whether to believe it or not, but no matter what you choose, the truth will always be there." Hermione sighed. All of this analyzing was making her brain hurt. She didn't like it when she was put into a situation in which she did not have complete control. The idea of not knowing what was going to happen next made her nerves twitch with anxiety. Hermione strived to excel in all aspects of life. Whether it be school, work or everyday life, she preferred to be in control at all times.

After taking a moment to clear her head of all of the different ideas, she placed her hand on the gear shift and shifted the car into reverse. The car pulled out of the driveway of her flat and onto the main road.

"So exactly where are we going?" Draco asked as he leaned the passenger's seat forward and backward.

"That's a good question actually." Hermione responded as she tried not to twitch at the fact that Draco found such enjoyment in toying with the delicate mechanics of her car. She was itching to say something to him, to complain that she wasn't done paying for the car. She wanted to explain how she would much rather have a passenger's seat that worked when it needed to than one that was broken within a year of purchase. However, she held back from scolding him. She didn't need to get on anyone else's bad side so early in the morning.

Hermione's stomach growled then, reminding her that she left a half eaten hot pocket sitting on the dining room table. She thought about it and realized that the odds of her breakfast being alone and in tact in the presence of Ronald Weasley were not very good. She just hoped he would have the decency to wash the plate when he was finished.

"Are you hungry?"

"I guess," Draco replied, surprised at the sudden change in topic. Hermione steered the car into the parking lot of a Country Foods restaurant and shifted into park. Upon entering the restaurant, the smell of pancakes and syrup invaded Draco's nostrils.

"Ever been here?" Hermione asked absently. Draco shook his head and looked around the quaint country restaurant. "Best pancakes ever, you don't even need syrup." He frowned. The thought of pancakes without syrup was foreign to him. The hostess led the two to a table near the back and handed them menus. She was a little pixie of a girl; she couldn't possibly be any older than seventeen.

"A waiter will be with you shortly to take your orders." She informed them, giving Draco an enormous grin before flouncing away, her long brown ponytail swinging behind her. Draco picked up his menu and weighed his options. Pancakes or waffles? Sausage or bacon? He looked up and saw Hermione with her menu closed and deep in thought. Her slender fingers fiddled with the silverware, still wrapped in the napkin. It was obvious she was still contemplating the concept of Ron still loving her.

"Are you alright?" Draco inquired with genuine concern.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." She responded absently, and continued to play with her utensils. Draco reached across the table and took the silverware away and placed it next to his own. Hermione barely noticed. She then began to tear off the corners of her placemat.

"Hermione, snap out of it!" She noticed what she was doing and firmly folded her hands in her lap. Hermione's brown eyes were clouded with confusion.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I can't believe that he would still be in love with me after all this time! And that he hasn't said anything."

"Do you think that if he had declared his undying love for you that you would have gone running back into his arms?" Draco asked with an arched eyebrow. He watched as Hermione's face twisted into a look of contempt.

"Of course not!" She exclaimed. "Ron is my best friend! I can't see him like that anymore. That's the most ridiculous—," Draco smirked. "Oh."

"Don't you think Weasley knows that?" Hermione dropped her head into her hands and moaned.

"I am such an idiot!"

**Wow...this is a pretty lame chapter for such a long wait...almost a year.....sry about that! I didn't realize it had been so long....I'll try to make it quicker....I've hit a bout of writers block...any ideas?**


	4. A semi chapter and a VERY important an

**Chapter Four**

"It's okay, Hermione." Draco murmured, patting her hand gently. "You just aren't the best at reading people." Hermione jerked her hand away and frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She snapped.

"Exactly what I said. I'm not going to lie to you, Hermione. You are a little naive when it comes to people. Especially men." Hermione opened her mouth to retort but Draco swiftly cut her off. "Don't get me wrong. You are the smartest witch of our generation, best at research and yadayadayada, but when it comes to common sense you are somewhat lacking. I mean look at Weasley. I mean really? One look at him can show you that he's just a common joe. You can do so much better than him." By this point Hermione had had enough. She stood abruptly from her seat gathering her belongings.

"Oh really? Like who? You? Who do you think you are?"

"Oh come on Hermione!"

"No! Just because we had some fun together does not mean that you know me! How dare you assume that you can judge the choices I make? I really thought you had changed Malfoy, but you are the same arrogant arse you've always been!" And with that Hermione stormed out of the restaurant, leaving Draco alone in the booth.

0000000000000

Draco left the restaurant shortly after Hermione stormed out on him. He apparated back to the manor and spent sometime thinking about where he had gone wrong.

**Okay so this is the lamest update ever. But it is what I have done and I'm pretty sure I'm discontinuing this story. However, I feel like this story has so much potential but I just don't really know what I want to do with it. I am putting this story up for grabs. If anyone wants to continue it and claim it as their own that is very okay with me. Just let me know and I kinda would like to know what happens =)...**


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